Blogmas #1: Norwegian winter poems.

My Blogmas isn’t typical Blogmas you would expect from a blogger. I neither have it for 24 or 25 days nor will I write about typical Christmas-around subjects. Of course, some of them might be, well, in a festive spirit, but I will try to reach something different. Because how much similar content is out there anyway? (photo above taken by my lovely boyfriend).

Before I start though: those are my translations, so if there are mistakes, I’m sorry. Enjoy!

Julaften Sigbjørn Obstfelder (1893)

Julaften!
Julaften med julelys i vinduerne,
bugnende juletrær i storstuerne,
julesang ud gjennemm dørsprækkerne!
Jeg vanked alene i gaderne
og lytted til barnesangene.
Jeg satte mig ned på trapperne
og tænkte på min døde mor.
*
Og jeg gik ud på markerne –
ud – blandt stjernerne.
Min skygge gled hen over skyggerne
af dødningearmede trær.
Jeg fandt et lig mellem sneglimtene,
snejulelysene,
et lig, som endnu bævrede,
en stakkels frostdød spurv.
*
Og jeg gik bort til mit tagkammer
og satte lyset i min flaske.
Jeg satte lyset i min flaske
og la bibelen på min kiste.
Jeg knæled ned ved min kiste
og blæste støvet af min bibel.
Jeg folded hænder over min bibel
og gråt.

***

Christmas eve!
Christmas eve with fairy lights on the windows,
Ample Christmas trees in living rooms,
Christmas song out through the door-chink!
I wandered alone in the streets
and listened to kids singing.
I sat on the stairs
and thought about my dead mother.
*
And I went out on the edges –
out – among the stars.
My shadow gladdens there, above shadows
of trees with fright arms.
I found a corpse between snow glints,
snowy Christmas lights,
a corpse, which still is preserved,
a wretched frozen sparrow.
*
And I went away to my chamber
and set up light in my bottle.
I set the light in my bottle
and laid the Bible on my coffin.
I kneeled down by my coffin
and blew out dust from my Bible.
I folded my hands above my Bible
and cried.